Are you a photographer?

Saturday, December 24, 2011

An opportunity for me to preach:

Are you the family photographer, more than happy to take the photo so you don't have to BE in the photo? Do a favor for the people who love you, get in the photo once in a while. My mom never wanted her picture taken and now we have very few photos of her. She's been gone almost 18 years now and there are a lot of people in my life who never knew her; I am always sorry that I have no photos of her to share. Don't worry about how you look; the people who love you the most love you for who you are and not for how you look.

Celebrate your World!

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Happy and Hopeful

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Yippee, it's the first day of Winter!

What a different December we're having here! By this time last year (and the year before that) we had already endured blizzards; this year we have no snow (we had about 3" in mid-November) and the temperatures are mild for December. I'm sure there's there will be surprises down the road but so far, so good!

Here's a blog I wrote a couple of years ago about the first day of winter. The older I get, the more I look forward to the first day of winter as a beginning of better things.

www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_jo
urnal_individual.asp?blog_id=2637402

Warmer days are just around the corner!!

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The Guest House

Sunday, November 27, 2011

THE GUEST HOUSE

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house 
empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.

meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,


    translation by Coleman Barks

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" . . . when I'm with my Cyberfriends"

Saturday, November 26, 2011

I subscribe to the MeYou Health Daily Challenge. Do you know about this? Check it out!! I've been participating for almost a year now; I get an email every day with some challenge and I have 24 hours to respond. Sometimes they're really easy and other times, they require some thought or work.

I thought today's challenge was pretty easy: list three things you are grateful for. Ahh, the Attitude of Gratitude. That's not going to be hard at all!! I came up with two right away and decided to go for a walk and I told myself that I couldn't come home until I had all three things. 28 minutes later, I was back. (I guess I'm going to have to find some more exercise time today.)

1- Having a place of great beauty to walk in (even though it's deer season and I had to wear my blaze-orange sweatshirt)

2- Being in a place of great beauty inside. Yesterday, it occurred to me that I'm in the best emotional health I've been in for a very long time. I'm really feeling centered; the security we long for in life comes from inside and I'm grateful to have realized that.

3- Websites like Daily Challenge and SparkPeople. Some of you may remember a blog I wrote a long time ago about a friend of mine who scoffed at the relationships I have through these websites: "But those are just virtual friends. They aren't REALLY friends." We all know that's wrong and he's missing out on some wonderful opportunities but today I realized that it has gone even deeper for me.

I think a lot of us are social chameleons (the ability to be who we need to be for any given situation but seldom being who we really are) and I am so good at it that for a long time, I wasn't sure who I really was any more. My interactions here have allowed the most genuine me to emerge and for that I'm most grateful.

In my free time, I dabble in songwriting. Nothing more than me fooling around (but you just never know!!) As I was walking this morning, I was thinking about a song I've worked on about cyberfriends. One of the lines says "I can be who I want when I'm with my Cyberfriends." I'll be changing that today:

"I can be who I really am when I'm with my Cyberfriends."

Thank you to all of you for everything you do to make my life so good.

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Finding a Place of Joy

Sunday, November 13, 2011

MAKE IT A PLACE OF JOY
Yesterday, I had planned on doing more yard work. We had snow during the week and happily, it didn't stay long! Yesterday's weather forecast was for a sunny day with temperatures in the 50's; a perfect day for yardwork. So why couldn't I get started on chores? There's not a lot left to do outside and I really needed to take advantage of the nice day; who knows how many nice days are left?

I walked outside into the sunshine (and no wind, very unusual for this time of the year) and realized that I had to take advantage of the nice day for something more important.

Myself.

So yesterday afternoon I got out the last outdoor chair (it's by the door to my storage shed, ready to be put away but waiting to be used JUST IN CASE) and I got out my knitting and I sat in the sunshine near the bird feeders and soaked in some joy. Even this morning, I feel happy and hopeful for the day; I got some time in the sun yesterday!!

There will be time for yardwork (maybe today?) but it can be done even if the weather isn't so perfect. (Or the snow will come and hide everything until Spring. That works too.) Today is cloudy and windy and back to November weather; more work, less play today? To be able to sit outside in November is not something I ever plan on here in Northern Wisconsin and I just might have missed it if I had stuck to my original plan yesterday.

I think that in my quest for a balanced life, I need to watch more closely for joy. It doesn't announce itself but it's there when you look!

Have a joy-filled day!!

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